Thriller (TV Series) Cousin Tundifer (1962) User Reviews

"This is gonna be trouble."

[classicsoncall · 8/10 · 6 March 2012]

With the kind of whimsical vibe Edward Andrews seemed to have, it's curious that he wound up being cast as a murderer in three different episodes of Thriller. There was #1.31 'A Good Imagination', #2.9 'A Third For Pinochle', and this one, 'Cousin Tundifer'. Did you ever notice how unusual the names of the characters were in these stories? None of your ordinary Smith and Jones types, Andrews' character is Miles Tundifer, trying to find a way to do away with Uncle Pontifex (Vaughn Taylor) for his inheritance. Trouble is, the old coot isn't dead yet, so Miles will just have to help him along.

That by itself would have been the basis for another serio-comic crime drama, but this episode also enters the realm of the supernatural. When Miles walks into the latest home his uncle is renovating, he takes a step back in time to the 1890's. That reminded me of one of my favorite Twilight Zone episodes, 'A Stop at Willoughby', in which a hassled businessman gets off the five o'clock train and enters a town like the one he grew up in. The resolution of that story is just as bizarre, as the gentleman winds up committing suicide trying to go back for good.

Well you know, things just never seemed to go right for Andrews in these stories. Just when he had it about made with the 'take-it-off girl' from the Club Apogee (Sue Ann Langdon), (un)reality comes crashing down and the nineteenth century version of the law swoops in and carts Miles off to the hoosegow. You know, I wonder if they wound up hanging him again?

Door To 1890

[AaronCapenBanner · 7/10 · 2 November 2014]

Edward Andrews stars as Miles Tundifer, a cunning rogue who plots to have his eccentric uncle Pontifex(played by Vaughn Taylor) committed to an institution because of how he has spent a sizable fortune by renovating old homes to their original condition. Miles discovers to his astonishment that the most recent house acts as a gateway to 1890 whenever he or any Tundifer steps in the living room, which gives him a clever idea of how to dispose of his uncle, but of course things will not go according to his plan... Amusing episode is a light-hearted dark comedy with some sinister overtones that work fine, particularly the twist ending.

Edward Andrews back for the last time

[kevinolzak · 6/10 · 20 May 2009]

After "A Good Imagination" and "A Third for Pinochle," Edward Andrews plays his third and final comic villain in "Cousin Tundifer," his Miles Tundifer scheming to rid himself of a rich, eccentric uncle (Vaughn Taylor from "Choose a Victim") who enjoys restoring old houses as a way of regaining his own youth. Miles discovers that his uncle's latest mansion can actually transport people back to the year 1890, so long as it's a Tundifer walking into the living room with roaring fire, envisioning a perfect crime to leave the old man behind in the past. What he doesn't realize is that his resemblance to a murderous ancestor who was hanged after claiming 8 victims may be his undoing. One year earlier, Buster Keaton had done a similar time travel story for THE TWILIGHT ZONE episode "Once Upon a Time," only he went forward from the 1890s to the present day. However similar, all three roles were tailor-made for Edward Andrews, who always rhapsodized about how much he enjoyed them, casually browsing through his recent purchase of "33 Ways to Get Away with Murder" while making the moves on gold digging stripper Queenie de Lyte (Sue Ane Langdon). Karloff's introduction even includes a mention of his own 1939 vehicle "Tower of London" as he examines the history of bad blood between uncles and nephews.

Poor. Edward Andrews

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 9 December 2016]

This is the third time that Edward Andrews has been cast as a murderer. In all three episodes he is so overconfident that he makes careless errors. In this one, he finds himself in a house where he goes back to the 1890's. He uses the house to try to murder his rich uncle. Once he thinks the old guy has bought the farm, he takes up with gold digging stripper who had her hooks into the uncle. She was banking on his inheritance. Once old Edward thinks he is on easy street, he starts to hook up with our little miss. Like the other characters he plays, he does a terrible job of remaining inconspicuous. There are too many variables that he needs to consider, but, for the most part, he is just a knuckle-head. The time element is kind of hard to get one's hands around.

My introduction to "Narcissus"

[blerpnor · 8/10 · 25 March 2024]

An enjoyable, all-out-wacky "Thriller," whose chief gimmick carries the episode, though the special effects are little less impressive with DVD clarity: The matte is far more noticeable than it would have been when first broadcasted, or during subsequent reruns. But, of course, "Thriller" wasn't designed for digital replay, and so we see occasional glitches (glimpses of overhead lights, etc.). This one has to be taken as total farce to be appreciated: Any search for logic will be in vain. I loved the recurring piano piece--Ethelbert Nevin's "Narcissus"--ever since my first viewing, and the bitonal (two keys) arrangement gives just the right comical, off-kilter effect. But the piece is anachronistic by one year: It was composed in 1891. Edward Andrews and Vaughn Taylor are excellent, as usual, and Sue Ann Langdon plays her patented ditzy-blonde character. Nice to see Howard McNear just before (or just as?) he assumed the role of Floyd the Barber on "The Andy Griffith Show." Here, he plays a far sharper character (and not nearly as straight-laced). Like "Masquerade," an eccentric entry, but far more expertly written.

All the start are for Sue Ane

[dontspamme-76078 · 5/10 · 19 November 2019]

This episode is chaff for the few scenes with Sue Ane Langdon. I've never seen her in a bad show (and yes, I saw her episode of Police Story :) ).

She has a natural charm and sexual energy.

The rest of this show was not very good. And the music during the time travel was maddening.

Good thing Sue Ane came to the rescue.

An attempt at comedy is hindered by serious plot holes.

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 8 April 2014]

In "Cousin Tundifer", the makers of "Thriller" go for a change of pace by making a funny episode. While the idea wasn't bad, the show didn't work very well because the show had way too many plot holes. If they'd plugged them up, it would have been much better.

Edward Andrews stars in this one and plays a typical sort of role--a jerk! Andrews usually played jerks on TV and this is certainly no exception. He's the sole heir to his uncle's estate, however, the uncle has a lot of nerve by staying alive! Additionally, he's spending money like mad--money that his nephew thinks is his. When the uncle's newest boondoggle is investigated by the nephew, the old fashioned house turns out to be very special--it's like a time machine! What's next? Well, it does involve the nephew trying to speed up his uncle's demise...but how?

Up until the murder, the show was pretty involving. But the murder was sloppy, made no sense nor, especially, how the body was disposed of by the killer. All in all, it just wasn't written well but it is mildly entertaining...in a brainless sort of way.

Postmodern, before there was postmodern

[martin-intercultural · 2/10 · 13 January 2016]

I am a huge fan of '50s and '60s black-and-white TV stories, but this one left me cold, and bored very early on. It throws together so many diverse hooks and twists, the end result feels arbitrary and bizarre: A scheming, good-for-nothing nephew. His elderly uncle, obsessed with restoring historic homes. A gold-digging stripper. Her psychotherapist who loves to plonk himself on the couch and recount his own childhood trauma. And if that's not enough, throw in big doses of time travel (?), annoying, nursery rhyme-style background music, and an unconvincing ending devoid of a moral lesson or a shocking twist. The creators tried hard to be funny, eclectic, mischievous and self-referential all at once. I'm afraid they failed on every count.

Nicely comic episode

[aramis-112-804880 · 13 December 2023]

Every old TV show has (or should have) a comic episode, and who better to feature in this one than perennial supporting player Edward Andrews as a smug fellow who wants to make away with his uncle.

The worry of most murderers in fiction is how not to get caught (in real life they're more likely to grab a poker in a fit of pique and--wallop!) Finding a house that's a doorway to another time, Andrews' character envisions the perfect crime.

But on shows like this, one may always expect the unexpected.

A delightfully droll comedy with Andrews perfectly embodying his character.

One of the pleasures of catching old shows like this is seeing rising talent or actors before they found their most notable roles. Here we have Sue Ann Langdon and the guy who went on to play Floyd, the barber.

A deliciously light-fingered episode and my personal favorite of the series.